Sleeping Dogs gameplay video looks promising

Sleeping Dogs was one of the most well-received games at this year's E3 expo. I missed the initial hype while running around the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, but I keep hearing people talk about the game. The official trailer looks promising, and Sleeping Dogs certainly has a lot of voice talent onboard. The developers even enlisted MMA star Georges St. Pierre to help with the combat.

Gameplay trumps talent, of course, but it looks like Sleeping Dogs might be a lot of fun. That's the sense I get from the freshly released Mrs Chu's Revenge walkthrough video, which shows off more than eight minutes of action from one of the game's missions. Warning: there's some adult language.

The open-world game has a definite Grand Theft Auto feel. However, the combat looks considerably more sophisticated—and brutal. Watching the main character beat his attackers senseless, I'm reminded more of Batman: Arkham City, which is a very good thing. Sleeping Dogs also has its own flavor in the form of an "aggressive cover" system that rewards players for vaulting over obstacles with slow-motion bullet time. The slo-mo effect pops up in vehicle chase sequences, as well.

There's plenty of variety in the walkthrough video, and the graphics look decent for what may be console footage. The PC release will come out alongside the console versions on August 14. If you pre-order Sleeping Dogs now on Steam, you'll save $5 off the $50 asking price. Tempting. Thanks to Rock, Paper, Shotgun for the tip.